Sweet Nothing
by Raiha-chan
Summary: Ran walked in on one of Crawford's killing and Crawford took him under his wing, instead of killing him, for reasons he himself don't know. A completely AU fic, with the CrawfordxRan pairing. R&R, onegai? ^.^
1. Prologue

Sweet Nothing ****

Sweet Nothing

[Prologue]

By: [Raiha-chan][1]

Warnings: AU, shounen ai (yaoi, maybe?), and OOC.

Spoilers: Aya's sister as well as his real name (I'll be referring Aya to his real name in the entire fic).

Teaser: Imagine this: Aya at 18; Crawford is an assassin; Crawford meets Aya; and Boom. Note that this fic is completely AU and written under the suspicions of me being on crack. .

****

[Prologue]

He was dead.

Somehow...somewhere...something went dreadfully wrong. No matter how he tried to analyze just exactly where it went wrong, it all came back to one thing.

He was dead.

~+~+~

When was the last time he cried? He never cried. Not even when she died. He wasn't a man who would shed a tear so easily.

And yet…and yet, he's crying now.

Streams of the hateful liquid poured down his cheeks, falling down onto the lifeless body beneath him.

Only God knows how long he had spent kneeling there, bloodied and crying.

~+~+~

A few of them came to the funeral. His friends and family. The man didn't dare show his face until he was positive everyone else has left home. Then and only then did he appear before the grave.

He cried. Again.

****

~~ To be Continued

Author's Notes: I swear I'm high on something. -.-;; As if I didn't say this enough times, but I'll say it again: This fic is completely AU, although I did keep the fact that Crawford was an assassin. It was either he being an assassin or being in a gang… Either way, I'm STILL on crack.

   [1]: mailto:toosang.lam@worldnet.att.net



	2. Chapter 1

Sweet Nothing ****

Sweet Nothing

[Chapter 1]

The alarm blared loudly throughout the still house. A pale hand reached out from under the blankets and began fumbling around the desk. When it reaches what it wanted, delicate fingers punched the Stop button.

All was silent again.

Soon, the figure rose from the bed, fingers combing through the mop of red hair. A pair of amethyst eyes blinked twice before it finally focused clearly on his surroundings.

Fujimiya Ran stood and headed inside the bathroom, yawning the entire time. He washed himself thoroughly before returning to his bedroom, where he proceeded to pull on a pair of track pants. He then began making his way downstairs.

Stopping by the kitchen, he snatched the note from the refrigerator.

__

Ran-nii,

I'll be home late tonight. I have a study session with my friends so I won't be back for dinner. Don't wait up! ^_^

Aya

Placing the note onto the kitchen counter, Ran rummaged through the refrigerator for a drink. As he was in the process of popping the can open, the doorbell chimed sweetly.

The redhead quickly placed the can down and went over to the door, as the doorbell rang a second time.

"I'm coming!" Ran opened the door to find a brown-haired boy standing there, with a soccer ball trapped in one arm. Beside him, a little boy looked up at Ran shyly.

"Good morning," Hidaka Ken grinned before stepping inside the house, his little brother in tow.[1]

"Remind me again why I'm doing this?" Ran inquired, as he headed back inside the kitchen for his drink.

"'Cause you're such a great friend?"

"I think not."

Ken grinned sheepishly. "I owe you one, okay? Had breakfast yet?"

"I just woke up," Ran grabbed the can from the kitchen counter before making his way into the living room.

"I'll treat you breakfast then."

"Suit yourself."

~+~+~

"I don't see why you can't take him with you," Ran asked, popping a piece of the pancake into his mouth. Ken shrugged lightly.

"He doesn't like soccer."

"Oh?" Ran rose an eyebrow at that. "With YOU as a brother, he does NOT like soccer? I find that quite hard to believe."

"Ah, well…" Ken scratched his head then shrugged again. He glanced at his watch before letting out a low yelp. "I'm gonna be late!"

The brunette stood up and grabbed his bag hastily, before ruffling his brother's head affectionately. "Be good, Keisuke. Got it?"

The little boy nodded back in response.

"Thanks. I really owe you one," Ken grinned at Ran before taking off. The remaining 2 sat in a comfortable silence.

"So, you don't like soccer, do you?" Ran asked, breaking the silence.

"Nope," Keisuke played with his food quietly.

"Well, what would you like to do today?" Ran signaled for the waiter.

"Can we go to the park?" Keisuke looked up at the redhead with a pair of big, hopeful eyes.

"Sure," Ran smiled. Keisuke beamed.

~+~+~

"Can I go on the swings?" Keisuke looked up at the tall man beside him.

"Go ahead," Ran gave the kid a gentle push towards the swing, before he himself plopped down on the nearby benches. He watched as the young boy seated himself comfortably on the swing, before slowly rocking back and forth.

He averted his gaze upwards, towards the cloudless sky above. He sat there, completely still, for a while and nearly fell asleep before he felt a tug at his hand.

"Hmm?" Ran looked down at Keisuke sitting next to him. "Yeah?"

"I'm done playing with the swings," Keisuke replied.

"Why don't you go play something else then?"

"I don't wanna."

"Well, we still have ti--" Ran looked at his watch, paused in his act of talking then jumped up quickly. "We have to go or I'll be late for work!"

"Okay," Keisuke jumped down from the bench with a soft thud. He laced his fingers through Ran's, as the older boy began guiding them both towards the restaurant where he waited.

~+~+~

"You're late," his boy frowned.

"I'm sorry," Ran grinned, apologetically, as he pulled on his work clothes.

"What's with the kid?"

"I'm babysitting for a friend."

"Oh? What are we supposed to do with him then?"

"He can sit by the counter," Ran patted the little boy on the head. "He's a good boy, quiet, too.

"How come you're babysitting? Don't your friend have another friend who's not busy and does not have to work?"

"Yes. But, unfortunately, they all declined."

"Well, as long as he's not troublesome…" the man trailed off.

"He'll be good, I promise."

"Alright, good. Get back to work. I'll get him settled down by the counter."

"Thanks," Ran ruffled Keisuke's hair and disappeared over to the arriving customers.

"So, what's your name, kid?" The man took Keisuke's hand and guided him towards the stools by the counter.

"Hidaka Keisuke," the boy replied.

"Hidaka? Then your brother is Hidaka Ken?" The man picked him up and placed him onto one of the stools.

"Yup."

"I see. Here," the man took out a pen and gave it to Keisuke. "Draw on the napkins or something. Can I trust you to be a good little boy?"

"Yup."

"Good."

Keisuke watched the man walked away then turned. He held the pen in his hand for a second, before reaching out to pull a napkin from its holder. He spent the rest of the day scribbling on the napkins.

~+~+~

"Welcome!" Ran smiled at the pair that had just arrived inside the restaurant. "There are two of you or are there more?"

"Just two," the woman smiled back at him. "And we would like a quieter table."

"Please come this way, then," Ran guided them towards a table for two, located in a corner of the room.

"Thank you," the woman nodded as they sat down.

"Here are the menus," Ran pulled out two thin booklets and placed them onto the table. "When you are ready to order, please call me."

"Just give us the day's Special," the woman said. "Two of it. Can we also get some water? Just plain water, please."

"Okay," Ran jotted it down on the pad. He took the menus back and trotted over to the kitchen, where he then ripped off the paper from the pad and handed it to the man nearest him.

He exited and made a grab for two glasses. He poured water into both glasses and made his way towards the table again.

"Here are your drinks," Ran smiled lightly as he placed the glasses onto the table.

"Thank you," the woman smiled back. The man she was with looked at Ran with a unreadable look.

"You're welcome," Ran smiled again and then headed towards the counter. "Hey."

Keisuke looked up from his drawings. "Ran-niichan."

"You want something to drink? Soda, maybe?"

"Can I get a Coke?"

"Sure thing, kiddo." As Ran left to get the wanted drink, Keisuke returned to drawing. Moments later, the redhead reappeared.

"Thank you," Keisuke accepted the glass with both hands.

"No problem. I'll be back here to see how you're doing later, okay?"

"Okay," Keisuke sipped his drink slowly, as he watched Ran walked away.

~+~+~

"Why do you ask for me then, if it was that simple?" the man asked.

"Because it isn't that simple," the woman said, before the red-haired waiter reappeared again with the food. "Oh, thank you."

Ran smiled again, as he placed the plates down slowly and carefully. He then walked away with the black tray tucked under one hand.

"You want me to go in and kill him, is that all?"

"Yes..."

"Then it's simple."

"Let a woman finish her sentence, why don't you?" the woman picked at her food. "I also need you to find a disk. It's inside his study."

"Simple."

"Overconfident, are we?" the man smirked at the words. "The thing is, the disk is inside the safe. And only he knows the combination."

"What's so important about the disk that it needs to be stored in the safe?"

"Illegal stuff, of course," the woman grinned slightly. "Something that would make me VERY rich, if I can just get my hands on it."

"I see," the man took a sip of his water. "And you want this done by tomorrow?"

"Yes."

"Very well."

"Oh, there IS one more thing…" the woman trailed off as she noticed a girl passing by their table. As soon as she was gone, the woman continued. "There are some…traps, in his study. You'll need him to close them first, if you want to go in the study and come back out alive."

"He's rather overcautious, isn't he?"

"Yes, he is."

"But it's nothing I can't handle."

"Good. I've heard of your reputation, which is why I want you for this job. The others that I've seen…they're not really my type."

"Hn."

A phone suddenly rang. The woman reached into her purse and pulled out the black cell phone. "Hello? Yes, sweetheart? Uh huh…tonight? Well…" A long pause as the woman's face turned thoughtful. "Oh, alright. Until 9 only. I'll see you later then."

The man calmly took another sip of his drink as he watched the woman placed the phone back into the purse.

"Seems like there's a delay," the woman shrugged. "My son is bringing home a couple of his friends for a little study group. They'll be gone by 9 PM, though. Understand this…I don't want my son hurt."

"He is not my target. I won't hurt him."

Pushing the plate away, the woman stood. "My treat."

"Thank you, then," the man also stood.

"It's a pleasure doing business with you, Mr. Crawford," the woman extended a hand forward.

"Likewise, Ms. Shinohara," Crawford took her hand and gave a firm handshake.

****

~~ To Be Continued

[1] I don't know if Ken really has a younger brother but hey, this is AU! While I made Ran back to when he was 18, Ken's age is still 19. ^^


	3. Chapter 2

Sweet Nothing ****

Sweet Nothing

[Chapter 2]

Ran pressed the bell again and heard it echoed softly inside. He turned and peered inside the window to the right of the door, only to find it covered by curtains. He rang the bell again.

"Ran-niichan?" Keisuke looked up at him. "Why isn't anyone answering the door?"

"Eh…" Ran checked his watch for the second time. "He said to bring you back at 6:30 and it's already 6:50."

"O~I!!!" Ran whirled around to find Ken waving his left hand frantically, all the while running towards them.

Hands on hips, Ran pulled on his most deadly glare. "You're LATE."

"Practice went late. Gomen," Ken grinned sheepishly as he headed past Ran and Keisuke to unlock the door.

"We're gonna be late for that study group over at Ryu's place," Ran reminded.

"I know, I know…" Ken dropped the soccer ball and bag he was holding onto the floor carelessly. "Wait a second, will ya?" The brunette ran up the stairs and a door opening can be heard.

Keisuke plopped himself onto the couch as he grabbed the TV remote control from the coffee table. Ran continued standing by the door, waiting for the older boy to reappear.

"Keisuke!" Ken popped out from his room and ran down the stairs, pulling his younger brother from the couch.

"What are you gonna do with him?" Ran nodded his head towards Keisuke, who was currently fumbling with his shoelaces.

"I'm taking him next door, over to Fujitaka-san's place," Ken explained as he pulled his bookbag over his shoulder. "She always watch him when no one else could."

"Aa."

"Now come on, we'll be late!" Ken pushed the redhead out the door, while Keisuke had already gone on ahead towards the Fujitaka house.

"Shouldn't I be telling you that?" Ran rose an eyebrow as Ken fumbled with getting his keys into the lock.

~+~+~

"You're late," the boy scolded. "I'd expect that out of Ken, not you, Ran."

"Oi! What's that supposed to mean?!" Ken scowled.

"Ignore him," Ran slid past Ken and got into the awaiting house. Ken grumbled something incoherently before following the redhead.

"You guys want something to drink?" the boy asked.

"Soda is fine with me," Ken replied.

"And you, Ran?"

"Anything's fine. Thanks, Ryu," the redhead smiled, as he shifted the weight of his bookbag to the other shoulder.

"Sure thing. Just wait in my room," Ryu disappeared for a moment. The other two trekked their way upstairs to the boy's room. As soon as they arrived, Ken dumped his bookbag onto the floor with a grunt and watched his textbooks spilled out onto the carpeted floor.

"Ugh…I hate history," Ken groaned as he stared at his textbooks in disgust.

"You hate all subjects, save for gym," Ran stated. "And that's only because you have soccer for gym."

"Tch. I don't understand how you can stand English class!"

"I manage."

"Drinks are here," Ryu appeared at the door, with the mentioned beverages in both hands. He handed it over to the two boys, before flopping down onto his bed.

"Now…can someone read this essay of mine?" Ryu held up a stack of paper that was nearly half an inch thick.

"Is that in any readable format?" Ken eyed the stack warily.

"English."

"Never mind then. Get Ran, though, he's pretty good in English."

"No, I'm not," the redhead protested, burying his face into a book and trying to ignore everything else.

"Aww, come on!! Please?" Ryu gave his best puppy face at Ran. The latter, however, simply ignored him. "What's the point of a study group if you won't help the others study?"

"Eh?" Ken tilted his head to a side, a smile playing on his lips. "I thought you said you were so 'good' in all your subjects that you won't need help, rather, you'd be helping US."

"Oh…I said that, didn't I…?" Ryu pulled at his collar and chuckled weakly, before giving his undivided attention to the papers.

~+~+~

"What time is it…?" Ken took a glance at his watch. "Ugh…it's only 8. We still have an hour left of this hideous thing…"

"You could leave early…" Ran stated, absent-mindedly, while his fingers worked quickly on a sheet of lined paper.

"I guess I could, eh?" Ken, however, made no move to leave and only continued his reading on Joan of Arc.

Somewhere downstairs, a door closed. Ken sat up straight on the floor, while Ran continued lounging around on his stomach. Footsteps were heard going up the stairs and soon, the door to the room open. A middle-aged woman stood there, a smile on her lips.

"Okaeri, oka-san," Ryu greeted.

"Konbawa, Shinohara-san," Ken and Ran said in unison. Ran blinked up at the woman. She only winked back.

"Konbawa, boys," Mrs. Shinohara smiled. "Would you like some snack?"

"Sure," Ryu replied. His mother nodded then disappeared downstairs again. The room dropped back into silence before Ran spoke up.

"That's your mother?" Ran asked.

"Yeah. Come to think of it, you never met her."

"No, I didn't. Anyway, I saw her today at the restaurant."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, she was with some man."

"Oh."

"What?" Ken piped up. "Is it something juicy that you're keeping from us?"

"Huh?" Ryu blinked at Ken, confused.

"I swear to God…" Ken threw his hand up in defeat, and returned to his textbook. "You're so goddamn ignorant that it's unhealthy."

"So I've heard." Ryu rolled his eyes.

"Oh, yeah," Ran reached into his bookbag and withdrew a manila envelope. "I'm supposed to give this to your dad."

"Huh?" Ryu looked up. "Oh, sure. He's usually back at 9 o'clock. You can give it to him then or something."

"What's that?" Ken nodded his head towards the envelope in the redhead's hands.

"Some business stuff," Ran shrugged, before putting the envelope back into his bookbag.

~+~+~

"Have a safe trip home," Mrs. Shinohara called from the front door.

"Why do they always have to say such a thing?" Ken asked, as he and Ran walked down the block.

"It's called courtesy," Ran said, matter-of-factly. "You should learn it sometime."

"Tch." The two continued their walk in silence. About three and a half blocks down, Ran let out a yelp as he froze in his tracks.

"What?" Ken looked over at him, alarmed.

"I forgot to give the envelope to Shinohara-san!"

"Well, then, go back!" Ken replied with an implied 'duh' in his tone.

"Yeah, I guess I will," Ran turned back towards the direction of the Shinohara house. "You could leave. I'll go back alone."

"You sure?"

"I'm not a baby, you know. I don't need an escort."

"Fine, fine," Ken grinned and then waved. "I'll see you tomorrow then. Ja!"

"See you tomorrow then!" Ran waved back as he watched the brunette disappear into the night. Shifting his bookbag, Ran trudged back up the block.

~+~+~

Ran gave the doorbell another ring. He turned away from the house and walked a few steps forward. Stopping, he turned back to look up at the house. All the lights were out and it appeared as if no one is home.

Sighing softly, Ran prepared to head through the front gate only to stop again.

"Oto-san said to make sure this was given today…" Ran looked at the house again. "Maybe I can just slip this into the door…"

Finally, Ran stepped up to the front door again and knelt down before it. He began to slip the first corner of the envelope through the gap between the bottom of the door and the floor. As he slipped more and more of the envelope through, the door cracked open slightly.

Blinking, Ran pushed the door open slowly with a finger. It gave way without protest, leaving the redhead still kneeling before the dark hallway.

"Um…hello? Is anyone home?" Ran stood and peered inside the house. "It's Ran, from before…" Silence was his only response.

"This is ridiculous. I'm talking to an empty house," Ran mumbled under his breath as he bent to pick up the envelope. He placed it onto the table he managed to find in the darkness. "I guess I'll just leave this here…"

Ran whipped his head upwards as he heard a rather loud thud rang out. He moved to stand in front of the stairway and strained his ears. Soon enough, he could hear a few hushed voices. It ended as quickly as it had started.

"Maybe I'm hearing things…" Ran muttered softly then turned, in preparation to leave. However, he was halted by something soft.

__

Well, this was surely out of place… Ran thought to himself as he looked up. A pair of amethyst eyes widened as they stare into a pair of brown orbs.

__

Uh… Ran barely had time to register anything before he felt something solid against his head and found himself tumbling towards unconsciousness.

~+~+~

"Look what the cat dragged in," Mrs. Shinohara said, dryly, as she watched the man maneuvered the boy into his arms. "What are you going to do with him?"

"Kill him," Crawford said, calmly.

"Wait!" Both woman and man looked up at the young boy standing on the top floor. "Don't kill him. Please. He's my friend."

"Do as you wish," Mrs. Shinohara said, ignoring her son's pleas. The American nodded without a word then turned to leave, with the still unconscious Japanese boy in his arms.

****

~~ To Be Continued


End file.
